With some 3.5 million people looking to move to the regions, the Regional Australia Initiative (RAI) workshop, Thrive Together, couldn’t have come at a better time. The event – co-hosted by Broken Hill City Council – will be in Broken Hill on Thursday, July 6.
RAI CEO, Liz Ritchie, says, “the latest RAI research shows one in five city-dwellers are considering a life in the country. A quick calculation tells you that equates to 3.5 million people moving to regions.
“But Australia hasn’t prepared for growth in regional Australia, and now is the time to seriously start thinking long-term about what our nation will look like, where our citizens will live, and how we might support the largest transformation this nation has seen since the industrial revolution,” Ms Ritchie said.
The RAI is an independent think-tank focused on establishing robust regional economies and improving the quality of life for those living in regional cities and towns.
The workshop will bring together representatives from the RAI and a diverse cross section of the community, to help local leaders take stock of the issues hampering growth and liveability. The idea is to help develop a plan to ensure the region can take advantage of the opportunities available for regional Australia.
Ms Ritchie says, “it will be the residents of Broken Hill that will guide the direction of the workshop, as all attendees have been asked to list their priority for the region as part of their registration”.
More than 80 of our local leaders, business owners, and volunteers have been invited to attend the workshop, and RSVPs are still open for additional participants.
Similar workshops have been held in Queensland and Victoria, and Ms Ritchie says people taking part described those workshops as ‘empowering’.
“One of the most valued aspects of our workshop is the ability for participants to forge new connections, as well as strengthening existing relationships,” she said.
The workshop will be held from 8.45am until 3pm, with morning tea available on arrival, ahead of a start at 9am.
More information by emailing [email protected]
